Great TV While High: Monk

Quite frankly, I am not, and have never been, much of a TV watcher. But I began watching Monk about the same time I began smoking, and within a few months I had watched every episode from all eight seasons.

Just a few of Monk’s fears.

Adrian Monk, played by Tony Shalhoub, was a brilliant detective with the San Francisco police department until he had a nervous breakdown after the violent murder of his wife. Throughout the show, Monk serves as a private consultant brought in on the most difficult cases which he always solves, often by piecing together seemingly random events or situations after someone else does or says something that triggers his brain to make the connection.

Despite his photographic memory and ability to read others, Monk continues to suffer from OCD and 312 different phobias which arose after his wife died. These mental disorders make it impossible for him to perform basic acts like shake hands or touch anything without freaking out a bit.

Monk is continually pained over being unable to solve the murder of his wife to whom he remained faithful and committed to throughout the series. Such devotion is a stark diversion from the all-too-common dismissal of marital commitment commonly portrayed in American mass media and adds an interesting twist throughout various episodes as he often is diverted from the pressing case at hand to investigate clues into her case.

But perhaps my single favorite aspect of the show is the continual progress in overcoming his own personal struggles which prevent him from living a ‘normal’ life, solving cases, and, at times, protect those he cares about. Throughout the show these same psychological disorders provide the comic relief as they create awkward, side-cracking situations, some of which left me quite literally rolling in laughter on the ground.

Get an idea of who Monk is and the feel of the show with this video of the intro to the show which includes the song that won the 2004 Emmy Award for Best Title Music:

Tony Shalhoub is joined by numerous talented actors and actresses including Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard and Bitty Schram.

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great TV While High series!